Nick Clegg has said he would be prepared to take the Liberal Democrats into a
coalition with Labour after the next general election amid growing
speculation about the future leadership of his party.

The Deputy Prime Minister declared that his party would do its “duty” if Labour won the most seats but fell short of a Commons majority in 2015.

He insisted that he could work with Labour’s leader, Ed Miliband, and that “personal likes and dislikes” were irrelevant.

His comments came as Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, suggested he could become Mr Clegg’s successor.

He said that he “didn’t exclude” the possibility, despite turning 70 next year. “Who knows what might happen?” he said.

Mr Clegg’s open speculation about a Conservative defeat at the next election risks causing a fresh row within the Coalition. He made his offer to work with Labour as a new poll put Mr Miliband ahead of David Cameron in personal popularity ratings for the first time.

In an interview with The People, Mr Clegg said: “If the British people, like they did last time, say no one lot has won, then I’ll be open to working with other parties.”

Asked if he could do business with Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg replied:

“Yes. If the British people said that the only combination which could work would be those two parties, in the same way as after the last election the only combination which could work was Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, it would be obvious that Liberal Democrats would need to do their duty.”

Mr Clegg said the Lib Dems had explored the possibility of forming a coalition with Labour after the 2010 election but “the maths” did not work. Senior Labour figures, including Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, have indicated that they would be willing to work with Mr Cable in future.

However, despite many Labour figures believing another hung Parliament to be likely in 2015, few are willing to contemplate working in a coalition with the Lib Dems while Mr Clegg remains leader.

There have been rumours that Mr Clegg could stand down before the next election to take a job as an EU commissioner.

However, he boasted of a series of policy successes in government, including raising the income tax threshold for the lowest paid workers and providing more money for disadvantaged schoolchildren.

He claimed that his party had curbed Tory policies in government, such as Michael Gove’s proposals to allow free schools to make a profit from taxpayers’ money and to replace GCSEs with traditional academic

O-levels.

The Lib Dem leader denied that he and Mr Cameron were “mates”, insisting that they did not “hang out” outside work. Mr Clegg also disclosed that he fulfilled the role of second in command at home, as well as within government, while his wife, Miriam took charge.

“I worship the ground Miriam walks on,” he said. “She’s forthright and doesn’t let me get away with much at home.”

Mr Clegg said he took an “old fashioned” approach to disciplining his three sons. He said he enjoyed drinking Spanish white wine at weekends but avoided alcohol during the week and had given up his 30-year smoking habit.

Mr Clegg said that his favourite television programme was Come Dine with Me. “They might ask me on there perhaps,” he said. “That would be good but I can’t cook.”